Suburban Republicans Plan for the Trump Problem
Former Rep. Dennis Reboletti is seeking a return to the General Assembly in a district Donald Trump lost by 17 points in 2020.
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After winning South Carolina’s Republican primary last weekend and a likely Super Tuesday romp on March 5, Republicans are growing stronger in their expectation Donald Trump will be the GOP nominee for President.
But Trump has already lost Illinois by a million votes twice and isn’t expected to compete in the state this fall. Many suburban candidates are preparing for the drag Trump will be on the ticket for down ballot candidates.
Take DuPage County, for example. The second largest county in the state was a Republican stronghold for years.
Not anymore.
President Joe Biden won DuPage County by 18 points in 2020 and Hillary Clinton won the county by 15 points in 2016.
We spent time Monday talking to key political figures in DuPage County about how candidates should (or if they will) distance themselves from Trump.
One of the key races to watch is the 45th House District, where freshman Rep. Jenn Ladisch-Douglass (D-Elmhurst) isn’t seeking re-election. The district encompasses much of Elmhurst and stretches south to Oak Brook, Downers Grove, Westmont, and Hinsdale in DuPage County.
Many Republicans seem to believe it is their best pickup opportunity in the state in November, but Trump may be one of the most complicating factor in their chances.
President Joe Biden defeated Trump by around 17 points in the district in 2020.
Former Rep. Dennis Reboletti, who served in the House from 2007-2015 is seeking a return to the legislature, facing Elmhurst City Council member Marti Deuter.
Reboletti says he’s going to attempt to stand on his own and, seemingly, avoid Trump’s national circus.
“Sure, if you don’t like Donald Trump, and you’ll see a number of pictures of me [placed] next to Donald Trump, then if you want to equate him to me, then I guess you won’t vote for me,” Reboletti said. “But the conversation will truly be about the district. Our message is local and our message is about how we can best represent the community compared to our opponent.”
Reboletti has recently publicly softened his position on abortion, which he claims has more to do with “extreme” positions in both parties and less with responding to Trump’s role in the GOP.
“I know it’s hard to be somewhere in the middle on abortion, but I just think that the [GOP] is wrong in the direction that they’re heading,” Reboletti said. “The district is pro-choice leaning, and I think that’s where a lot of suburban districts are at. And seeing where the party is on these issues, I just can’t agree with that level of extremism.”
Many GOP figures in DuPage County believe Republican candidates need to not only chart their own path, but to separate themselves from the controversial former President as much as possible.
Greg Hart is a moderate Republican who narrowly lost a race for DuPage County Board Chairman in 2022 and is considered by many to be a “rising star” within the GOP.
Hart points out Trump lost both elections in Hinsdale, which is one of the remaining GOP strengths in the county.
“To win competitive down ballot races in the suburbs, Republican candidates have no choice but to show voters they are distinct from Trump and the national Republican brand,” Hart said. “Without differentiating themselves, the headwinds will likely be too strong to overcome.”
Kevin Coyne, a former Naperville City Council member who now runs the pro-law enforcement “Safe Suburbs PAC” says Trump lost every precinct in the City of Naperville, Illinois’ third largest city, in 2020.
“In the suburbs, Trump is political poison,” Coyne said. “Anyone on the ballot is facing a huge uphill climb when you have that kind of disaster at the top [of the ticket].”
Coyne says Republicans can succeed by making public safety a key cornerstone of their campaigns.
“I think you focus on supporting police. You focus on this crazy situation with the migrants,” he said. “Those issues are a concern to all voters, even Democrats. I think you do what you can to maintain your own brand and remind people that all Republicans are not the same.”
But many Republicans we spoke to say while they believe Trump will be a drag on the ticket in 2024, he may not be quite as toxic as the two previous cycles.
They point to President Biden’s low popularity as a possible negating factor.
“President Biden looks to be a terribly weak incumbent and I think he’ll likely hurt their turnout on the Dem side,” Coyne said. “I don’t think [Trump] will lose quite as badly as he did [in 2020].”
